1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fitting mechanisms and output devices. In particular, it relates to a fitting mechanism into which a portable player can be stably fitted and an output device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some output devices have a connector on a case to which a portable player for playing back sound and pictures is connected and output sound from the portable player at a predetermined sound volume.
In general, the size of portable players differs by models even though their connectors have the same shape. Therefore, some output devices have the connector on the top surface of the case in order to allow portable players having different sizes to be connected thereto, and the portable players are placed on the top surface of the case.
However, such portable players placed on the top surface of the case of the output devices are unstable, leading to a user's concern about carrying such output devices with the portable players placed thereon.
If a portable player is fitted into an output device in the same manner that a cassette tape is fitted into a cassette deck, fitting of the portable player may be stabilized, making a user feel comfortable to carry the output device. However, while the size of cassette tapes is uniform, the size of portable players is different by models. Therefore, there is a demand for a fitting mechanism into which portable players having different sizes can be stably fitted and an output device having such a fitting mechanism.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-135119 discloses a cradle connectable to a portable information terminal. The cradle is compatible with several models of portable information terminals.
Japanese Patent No. 3660523 discloses a computer system including a portable computer and a docking station, which makes it easy to align the portable computer and the docking station.
Japanese Patent No. 3299236 discloses a docking station that can identify the model of a laptop personal computer and set an interface connector to an appropriate height.